Although the Renault 5 Turbo did not have a long career, it made a lasting impression. In 1980, at the Brussels Motor Show, the French sports hatchback was presented, which, with its aggressive features, could even deserve the title of poison bag, even if the performance data did not necessarily justify it.
Renault’s intention was certainly to drive Lancia into a corner, as the Italians had made inroads in the rally world with their mid-rear-engined Stratos, and thus the Renault 5 Turbo was born, which passed two generations and totaled almost 5,000 units from 1986. The precursor to that was the Renault 5 Alpine, whose idea came from Jean Teramorsi, vice president of the French brand at the time, but the last model to hit the street is – from a design point of view – the favor of Marc Deschamps and Marcello Gandini.
Take a closer look at the Renault 5 Turbo by clicking on the photo:
It already competed with Lancia in that a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine for the 5 Turbo 1 models, then a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine for the 5 Turbo 2 models, was also located at the front of the car, but both engine types were equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. However, a more significant difference in performance did not appear despite the different cylinder volumes: the compact sports engine with 160 hp and 221 Nm of torque accelerated from standstill to 100 km / h in 6.9 seconds, and its top speed was around 200 km. / h. Prices for newer models after 1984 were more friendly.
It is important to note that there were significant changes compared to the standard Renault 5, starting with the fact that the engine was placed in the front instead of the rear in regular models, and it rolled off the production line as front wheel drive instead of rear wheel drive. Of course, the Renault 5 Turbo was not left out of the racing world, with the legendary Jean Ragnotti winning three World Rally Championship (WRC) races in 1981, 1982 and 1985.
The enduring popularity of this type even after several decades is shown by the fact that in recent years many high mileage copies have been changed hands with prices in excess of $100,000. A 1985, second-generation, Belgian-made car, which was imported from Switzerland to the US just a few years ago, is on the way here, and sold by its current owner just a year later. The Renault 5 Turbo, red on the outside and beige on the inside, has very few faults to blame, but it’s far better that only 25,000 km have been done with it in nearly 40 years.
This provides an obvious explanation for the fact that when these lines were written, watches A Bring a trailer Before the end of the current auction, why is the highest bid 77.5 thousand dollars, it was converted to almost 27 million HUF, although it has defects in the form of small and large cracks and scratches. The current owner, in addition to refinishing it, replaced several things on the Renault 5, such as the coolant temperature sensor, some parts for the oil and fuel pressure gauges, but in addition to the spark plugs and wires, neither the transmission connector nor the clutch hydraulics left.
The Clio’s predecessor, the Renault 5 Turbo, remains unique and unrepeatable, and based on the feedback received at the auction, this 1985, surprisingly popular in domestic circles, seems to be a particularly good buy.